Slaying Suspect's Car Seized

June 11, 2002|By KEN BYRON; Courant Staff Writer

BERLIN — State police investigating the death of a Hartford woman searched the home of Edwin Snelgrove Monday and seized a car there.

Snelgrove is the prime suspect in the death of Carmen Rodriguez. Her mutilated and decomposing body was found in Rhode Island in January. Rodriguez, 32, was reported missing by her family in September, and Snelgrove, who said he met her at a Hartford bar, was the last person seen with her.

Hartford police searched Snelgrove's car in November and seized a number of items from it, including a hair-like fiber found in the back seat. State police spokesman Sgt. Paul Vance would not say whether the car taken away Monday was the same one searched by Hartford investigators.

Snelgrove, a convicted killer who served 11 years in a New Jersey prison for killing his ex-girlfriend and attacking another woman, lived in the house with his parents. State police searched the house, at 128 Savage Hill Road, and areas adjacent to the property.

Police would not say Monday when an arrest might be made in Rodriguez's death. In addition to searching Snelgrove's home and car again, investigators are also awaiting the results of forensic tests being done on material seized earlier in the investigation, said Rhode Island state police Capt. Michael Iarossi.

Rodriguez's body was found stuffed in plastic garbage bags beside a road in Hopkinton, R.I. Police in that town, along with Rhode Island state police, are also investigating her death. Iarossi said the investigation is a joint one with Connecticut authorities.

Until now, the Connecticut state police were assisting with the investigation. But Vance said the state police would now coordinate the efforts of the various agencies in Connecticut, including Hartford police, that are investigating Rodriguez's death. Vance said this is being done at the request of the Hartford state's attorney's office.

``Many agencies have been looking at the various facets of this case, but now we've been asked to take the lead,'' Vance said. He said having the state police coordinate the investigation would assure all the agencies worked together.

Snelgrove was arrested in January in an unrelated kidnapping case and is being held on that charge while he awaits a trial. He is accused of trying to pull a woman into his car as he drove down Capitol Avenue in Hartford in September. She was not hurt.